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Whether you were already working remotely in the Before Times, or you were suddenly introduced to working from home in March 2020, you probably learned quickly that the right laptop accessories for working from home make you more comfortable and more productive. Today we’re rounding up the Corporette/CorporetteMoms team’s favorite laptop products (and laptops!) to improve your WFH days.
What are your favorite laptop accessories for working from home?
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Kat’s Favorite Laptop Accessories
I just got a new HP laptop for about $600, and I love it — I was replacing an older Chromebook that my youngest helpfully destroyed, more or less. I didn’t mind the Chromebook for some work, but photo editing/reviewing was difficult on it, Dropbox seemed perennially difficult to access, and I had to convert Excel and Word files into Sheets and Docs in the cloud.
(I was thrilled to see this lifetime license for Microsoft Office for $50, and bought it for my laptop.)
Another new thing I got for the Chromebook that I’m liking is this ombre silicone keyboard cover. I’ve never had one before, but, er, have often had problems spilling things on my laptop. (I even had my only Mac laptop die because I spilled a martini on it — they said it wasn’t the gin so much as the lemon that was the problem. Sigh.)
Anyway, I like that it’s protecting the keyboard, I love the color/touch of personality it adds, and I even like the rubbery feel of typing on it. Mine was $6.59 at Amazon — make sure you search for your exact computer model, and pay attention to keyboard layout when purchasing, since some don’t have a caps lock key or have the delete key in a different spot. (I wish I could get one for my desktop keyboard as well, but they don’t seem to make them for my ergonomic one.)
{related: essential items to keep at your work desk}
Kate’s Favorite Laptop Accessories
When my HP laptop died last year, I was lucky enough to have my engineer husband offer to do a bunch of laptop research for me, so when we eventually went to Best Buy (I prefer to buy laptops in person), it was pretty easy to choose from among the options. I got a Lenovo Yoga 7i for $700 (now $775 at Amazon and $850 at Best Buy) and I’ve been really happy with it. The only thing I’d change would be to add an SD card port, but when I transfer photos from my DSLR I just use this USB-C external SD card reader.
As for using my laptop, I had been using an old lap desk to work from home for years, and when the top layer started to peel off recently, I did some browsing and settled on a much nicer bamboo one from LapGear ($32.96 at Amazon). I’ve had it almost a month, and I like it a lot. It’s not too heavy, and with my 15-inch laptop, it leaves just enough room for my ancient Logitech wireless mouse. Other laptops offered phone slots, cupholder areas, etc. (see below), but I just wanted a flat surface, because all I put on it besides my computer are post-its. Pictured is chestnut bamboo; it also comes in natural bamboo.
Speaking of bamboo, I also really like my bamboo cable management box I wrote about in yesterday’s Coffee Break, which is where I plug in my laptop.
{related: how to work from your bed}
Elizabeth’s Favorite Laptop Accessories
When my office went remote in March 2020, I spent the first several weeks perching my laptop on various configurations of books in order to get the screen to an appropriately ergonomic height. The problem with that was that 1) it wasn’t particularly stable and 2) the books had to be moved from room to room while “two weeks to flatten the curve” stretched out into months and I tried to set myself up with a more permanent work station.
Enter this humble laptop stand from Amazon: inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to adjust. It was simple to bring my laptop up to an ergonomically-appropriate height so that I could type on my portable keyboard without feeling the strain in my neck, and equally simple to adjust the stand to a slightly higher height for a more flattering camera angle for long Zoom meetings.
Now that I’m back in the office, I’m not using it every day, but I still use it to prop up my laptop in the kitchen to watch movies while I meal prep, or plop it on my coffee table to Zoom with friends. (Yes, my college roommates and I are still doing this at least monthly after two years, and we all love it!)
The stand is $25.49, marked down from $34.99.
Ann’s Favorite Laptop Accessories
Even though we moved nearly a year ago, I still haven’t set up my home office. For now, I’m moving between the two ends of my living room couch. If you have a similar at-home work setup, consider upgrading your workspace with this lap desk. I’ve been using mine for several months and wish I’d bought it sooner!
This lap desk fits a 15-inch laptop and features an integrated mousepad, phone slot (I think my phone is a bit too big, as it falls out, but I end up sticking other things in the slot like a pad of post-its), and a comfortable dual-bolster cushion. There’s even a little ledge so your laptop doesn’t slide off. I find mine sturdy, yet lightweight enough to carry around. (There’s even a handle.)
LapGear’s Home Office Lap Desk is $39.99 on Amazon. It comes in six finishes (I have the faux marble one) so you can find one to suit your taste.
I was using my daughter’s old (tiny, bright purple) remote-schooling mouse, and it died so I upgraded to this one.
This wireless mouse is easy to install (no software, just plug in the receiver), features an on-off switch for longer battery life (up to three years), and several customizable buttons (which I haven’t changed from the default settings). I find it comfortable to hold (I have hands on the smaller side), and simple to use — the scrolling and movement are smooth. I should have given up the tiny purple mouse sooner.
Logitech’s M705 Marathon Wireless Mouse is $32.83 on Amazon.
Readers, do tell: What are your favorite laptop accessories for working from home? For those WFH, are you doing a hybrid arrangement, or are you still working exclusively from home?
Stock photo via Stencil.